North Port Mother Loses Necklace Honoring Late 9-Year-Old Son

SARASOTA, FL — A North Port woman is hoping that a treasured necklace honoring her late 9-year-old son will find its way back to her after she lost it in Sarasota on Monday.

After Jaclyn Burke finished eating at Brick’s Smoked Meats, she walked around downtown Sarasota and took off her coat when she got warm. She assumes the necklace caught on her jacket as she removed it and fell in the street. She likely dropped it somewhere along Main Street, she added.

It wasn’t just any necklace that can be bought in a store, she said. It had a deeper meaning for her, as it incorporates the thumbprint and birthstone of her son, Noah, into the design. It also features his name on the back.

The 9-year-old suffered an injury during birth that caused the condition hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. He had “severe brain damage in the middle of the brain, which affected his motor function,” Burke said. A quadriplegic, Noah used a wheelchair and feeding tube.

In April, she put him down for his nap one afternoon and he never woke up.

“He went really peacefully in his sleep,” she said. “I’m really grateful for that. It could have been a lot worse.”

Burke received the necklace from the funeral home, Gendron Funeral & Cremation Services, and has worn it every day since.

The loss of the necklace was devastating, at first. She’s since learned that the funeral home kept Noah’s thumbprint on file and could make a reproduction of the necklace for her if needed. Still, she’s hoping to find the original piece.

“I’m super hopeful, but I’m also trying to remain realistic,” she said.

Her friend shared a picture of the lost necklace to Facebook on Tuesday, hoping the post could eventually reach anyone who might have found it. Since then, the post has been shared on Facebook and Twitter by many who want to help, including the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Burke is amazed by the attention.

“It’s kind of baffling, honestly…and completely overwhelming,” she said. “But it says a lot about our community and how caring it is.”

She asks that anyone who might have found her necklace contact her through Facebook.